12/18/2010

The Nobel Peace Prize: China may defy the prize, but liberty will march on

Norway is a small nation, far from the crossroads of the world. But every Dec. 10, it awards a peace prize through the institute founded by Alfred Nobel, an industrialist and the inventor of dynamite.

This year a Chinese man, Liu Xiaobo, won the award for his peaceful work to bring liberty and the rule of law to China. Liu helped negotiate a safe passage for some students from the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. He's a tireless advocate for civil liberties and respect for free, nonviolent speech in China (as guaranteed by Chinese law and China's own constitution). His eloquent prose continues to celebrate life and love, even as he is imprisoned for his words and beliefs.

With this year's award, China joins the family of nations that have produced great Nobel Peace Prize winners, including the United States' Martin Luther King Jr., Russia's Andrei Sakharov, South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Poland's Lech Walesa. This step proves once again that China is no exception to the migration of civilization toward democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Like people around the world, we Chinese aspire to a life of freedom coupled with responsibility. We want the same things as any other human being: recognition of our basic rights, the chance to raise children who are free to pursue happiness, and as much pride in our commitments of the heart as in our achievements of the mind.

But the Chinese government's reaction to the awarding of the prize this year is inexplicable. Rather than celebrate another Chinese first, a global recognition of Chinese universality, this government ridiculed Norway and demonized Liu and the Nobel Institute.

Read more at  Oregon live

Dec 18, 2010 2:50:35 PM | Current Affairs

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